Heap Seng Leong Coffeeshop

A trip back here after 5 years to Heap Seng Leong and I'm really glad that the legend still remains. We became more appreciative of such localised and old school places after the pandemic had wiped up a lot of small businesses.

The Facade of Heap Seng Leong has never changed and that includes the interior too. Everything still looks the same, from the tiled walls to the marble top tables.

A step into this coffee shop has never failed to give me a nostalgic feel. It is just as good as sitting in a time machine back to the olden days.

Heap Seng Leong

At the sight of those displays of candies and snacks in bottles, they filled my memories. Even that orange payphone, it was something that we used to see or use daily but such a phone has now become history.

Cabinets

The Abacus was spotted on the cabinet top, perhaps this is one of the last few pieces that we will ever see here in Singapore.

Abacus

The loaves of traditional bread were all stored in the old glass cabinet near the side of the walls.

Where Bread are stored

While the queue was lined up till the door of the coffee shop, Mr Shi's hands has been moving nonstop in preparation of the hearty breakfast for his patrons.

Bread is ready

He was running a one-man show during the morning that we had visited and had been managing the crowd well, juggling and multitasking his duties from preparing beverages to the toasting of bread over the charcoal.

Busy Morning

Mr Shi in Action

Preparing our cups of Coffee

What's brewing

The Place that makes history

The workspace where the food and drinks are prepared.

Here's the classic to order from the shop. We ordered the complete set with a cup of beverage (the staple Kopi O Gu You or Kopi Gu You), half-boiled eggs and toast.

The classic set

Starts your day with a cup of aromatic black coffee that is topped off with a slab of butter. The marriage of Kopi and butter was heavenly, giving a smooth texture. Personally, I prefer the Kopi O Butter or Kopi O Gu You as the taste was more outstanding without the milk.

Coffee with Melted Butter and Toasts for Breakfast

Unlike most coffee shops in Singapore, their bread is toasted on a charcoal fire, thereafter, they will process it by scraping away the black parts and spreading the traditional canned kaya over it. Lastly, they will include a slice of butter within.

Checking the slice of butter within

Butter

The eggs are only prepared upon ordering, thus there is a wait of about 6-8 minutes. These half-boiled eggs were already cracked for customers and therefore we do not have to do it by ourselves. Enjoy them with some dashes of pepper and dark soya sauce.

Adding Dark Soy Sauce to Eggs

If you want to have a feel of enjoying some traditional breakfast in old settings, a visit to Heap Seng Leong will definitely give you that experience.

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Posted 30 June 2017

How many such coffee shops do we have in Singapore nowadays? With the advancement of technology, many coffee shops that looks like in the 90s would have been revamped to its modern state, coping up with the trendy renovations in the market.

Heap Seng Leong

With words of mouth, I get to know we have Heap Seng Leong still standing in the old estate, run by an old man in its pyjamas. A question that has been pondering us, how many hours did the old man actually sleep?  If you are unaware, the boss (old man) is always in his sleeveless white singlet and striped bottom pyjamas. The interior was rustic with the old signboard, clock and even cabinets. If you are from the 80s and before, I bet the settings did let you have a good reminisce of your childhood days.

In the coffee shop

Many come here for this, Kopi Gu You aka Kopi Butter. Perhaps this cup of Coffee with butter will take you back a couple of decades back and a sip on it is just like a pause by the time machine, there you enjoy your heavenly

Kopi Gu You - $1.10

Charcoal Toasted Bread with slab of butter and kaya sandwich in between them. It may not be as crispy like a biscuit as compared to the chains coffee cafe but they do have a charred fragrance.

Roti

Appearance wise, you wont get to see something very presentable, flatten and well stack. However these toasts do carry a very traditional feel and taste on the plate.

Kaya Toast - $1.20

Hope that such kind of traditional coffee shop will still be around. If you want to take a step back in time and sip a cup of good traditional coffee without paying too much like what we spend in a hipster cafe, visit Heap Seng Leong for its simple flavours. They are accessible within 5 minutes walk from Lavendar MRT.

Rating: 3 / 5

Heap Seng Leong Coffeeshop
Location: Blk 10 North Bridge Road, #01-5109 Singapore 190010

Nearest Station: Lavender (EW11)